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Haymarket Square Riot Facts & Worksheets

The Haymarket Square Riot was the aftermath of a bombing that occurred on May 4, 1886, in Chicago, Illinois.

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The Haymarket Square Riot was the aftermath of a bombing that occurred on May 4, 1886, in Chicago, Illinois. Protestors threw a homemade bomb into a crowd of advancing policemen.

See the fact file below for more information on the Haymarket Square Riot or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Haymarket Square Riot worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BACKGROUND

  • Prior to the bombing, workers across the United States had been gathering and protesting for an eight-hour workday.
  • The story of the Haymarket Square Riot serves as an inspiration for Labor Right Activists around the world.
  • In the 1880s, workers in the United States were working 6-7 days a week for a total of 60-100 hours. This left them with little free time to participate in activities with their friends, families, and communities.
  • In addition to working incredibly long hours, workers were being paid as little as $1.50 a day for their work. Often, people would begin working in a trade in their teens and continue to work until they were too old or unhealthy to continue.
  • Many workers across the United States began to come together and protest their working conditions. They argued for an eight-hour workday using a song called “Eight Hours”, written by I. G. Blanchard.
  • On May 3, 1886, protestors held a meeting in front of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company (Chicago). At the time, this building already had a large police presence guarding the plant from protestors.
  • Protestors at the meeting began to confront workers entering the McCormick plant.
  • One of the speakers at the protest, Andrew Spies, advised fellow protestors to leave the workers alone.
  • As a result of the confrontation, police began firing shots at the protestors. Papers reported that six people were killed.

HAYMARKET SQUARE RIOT

  • The day after the deadly protest at the McCormick plant, protestors began to distribute fliers in the Haymarket Square.
  • At the time, the Haymarket Square was a popular commercial center in Chicago.
  • The flier stated that the police murdered protestors on behalf of businesses and that protestors needed to fight for justice.
  • The original flier asked for protestors to arm themselves with weapons, but protest leader and speaker Spies advised that he did not agree with violence and that he would not speak at the protest unless new fliers were made.
  • Spies, along with Albert Parsons and Samuel Fielden, all spoke at the rally.
  • The rally was peaceful until police began to arrive at 10:30 pm.
  • When police arrived, they ordered protestors to leave.
  • As police were advancing towards the protestors, a homemade bomb constructed out of metal and dynamite was thrown at the police.
  • Immediately after the bomb went off, shots began to be fired between the police and the protestors.
  • In total, seven policeman and four protestors were killed. Sixty additional police officers and seventy additional civilians were injured.
  • At the time, this event was the largest incident of police officers being killed in the line of duty in Chicago.

INVESTIGATION & TRIAL

  • The Chicago Police Department arrested a total of eight people for the Haymarket Square Riots.
  • The men charged with the Haymarket Square Riot were Samuel Fielden, Adolph Fischer, August Spies, Albert Parsons, George Engel, Louis Lingg, Michael Schwab, and Oscar Neebe.
  • The trial was controversial and biased, as there was no concrete evidence to link any of the defendants to the bombing. Multiple defendants, including Oscar Neebe, claimed that they were not even present at the riot that day.
  • The trial began on June 21, 1886, and ended on August 11, 1886.
  • Of the eight men charged, seven were sentenced to death by Judge Joseph E. Gary. The eighth man, Oscar Neebe, was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison.

THE TRIAL & AFTERMATH

  • Each of the men charged with the crimes of the Haymarket Square Riot were allowed to write to the judge asking for clemency. This meant that they would accept guilt in exchange for having their death sentence reduced to a prison sentence.
  • Engel, Parsons, Fischer, and Spies all refused to write to the judge for clemency and accepted guilt for their charges. They were hung together on November 11, 1887.
  • On the eve before his execution, Louis Lingg committed suicide by placing a homemade bomb inside of his mouth.
  • Both Schwab and Fielden wrote to the judge asking for clemency and had their death sentences reduced to a life prison sentence.
  • After their execution, Engel, Parsons, Fischer, and Spies were buried together at the German Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.
  • A statue called the “Haymarket Martyrs’ Monument” has been placed there to commemorate the sacrifice of these early activists.
  • Future social activists have requested to be buried in the German Waldheim Cemetery as a tribute.
  • The Haymarket Square Riot continues to inspire activists to engage in the labor movement.

Haymarket Square Riot Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Haymarket Square Riot across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Haymarket Square Riot worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Haymarket Square Riot which was the aftermath of a bombing that occurred on May 4, 1886, in Chicago, Illinois. Protestors threw a homemade bomb into a crowd of advancing policemen.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Haymarket Square Riot Facts
  • The Haymarket News
  • Word Scramble
  • Opinion Piece
  • Haymarket Wordsearch
  • See, Think, Wonder
  • Interview with a Friend
  • Haymarket Crossword
  • Criminal Sentence
  • Fill in the Blank
  • Trial Acrostic

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Haymarket Square Riot?

It was a conflict between police and radical unionists who were protesting police brutality. Seven police officers were killed when a bomb was thrown into the crowd. Sixty other people were injured and it caused a gunfight to break out between police and protestors.

What happened after the Haymarket Square Riot?

Four protestors who identified as anarchists were executed.

Did the Haymarket Square Riot have any effect?

Yes, membership in unions increased significantly after the event.

Who was blamed for the Haymarket Square Riot?

The blame for the violence was pinned on radical anarchists who escalated tensions in the crowd and also detonated bombs.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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